先前 xiān qián ㄒㄧㄢ ㄑㄧㄢˊ sin1 cin4 HSK 5
- before; previously
Stroke order
Practice writing
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More words with these characters
先
- 事先 shì xiān ㄕˋ ㄒㄧㄢ si6 sin1 in advance
- 优先 優先 yōu xiān ㄧㄡ ㄒㄧㄢ jau1 sin1 to have priority; to take precedence
- 先例 xiān lì ㄒㄧㄢ ㄌㄧˋ sin1 lai6 precedent
- 先天 xiān tiān ㄒㄧㄢ ㄊㄧㄢ sin1 tin1 embryonic period (contrasted with 后天)
- 先后 先後 xiān hòu ㄒㄧㄢ ㄏㄡˋ sin1 hau6 early or late; first and last; priority
Show 15 more words with 先
- 先生 xiān sheng ㄒㄧㄢ ˙ㄕㄥ sin1 saang1 teacher
- 先进 先進 xiān jìn ㄒㄧㄢ ㄐㄧㄣˋ sin1 zeon3 sophisticated; advanced (technology etc)
- 先锋 先鋒 xiān fēng ㄒㄧㄢ ㄈㄥ sin1 fung1 vanguard; pioneer; avant-garde
- 先驱 先驅 xiān qū ㄒㄧㄢ ㄑㄩ sin1 keoi1 to pioneer
- 原先 yuán xiān ㄩㄢˊ ㄒㄧㄢ jyun4 sin1 originally
- 率先 shuài xiān ㄕㄨㄞˋ ㄒㄧㄢ seot1 sin1 to take the lead
- 祖先 zǔ xiān ㄗㄨˇ ㄒㄧㄢ zou2 sin1 ancestors; forebears
- 预先 預先 yù xiān ㄩˋ ㄒㄧㄢ jyu6 sin1 beforehand; in advance
- 领先 領先 lǐng xiān ㄌㄧㄥˇ ㄒㄧㄢ ling5 sin1 to lead
- 首先 shǒu xiān ㄕㄡˇ ㄒㄧㄢ sau2 sin1 first of all; in the first place
- 争先恐后 爭先恐後 zhēng xiān kǒng hòu ㄓㄥ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄎㄨㄥˇ ㄏㄡˋ zang1 sin1 hung2 hau6 (idiom) to compete to be first; to scramble to get ahead; to rush forward for fear of falling behind
- 占先 佔先 zhàn xiān ㄓㄢˋ ㄒㄧㄢ zim3 sin1 to take precedence
- 尽先 儘先 jǐn xiān ㄐㄧㄣˇ ㄒㄧㄢ zeon2 sin1 in the first instance
- 先主 xiān zhǔ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄓㄨˇ sin1 zyu2 former ruler; founding ruler
- 先人 xiān rén ㄒㄧㄢ ㄖㄣˊ sin1 jan4 ancestor; forefather
前
- 之前 zhī qián ㄓ ㄑㄧㄢˊ zi1 cin4 before
- 以前 yǐ qián ㄧˇ ㄑㄧㄢˊ ji5 cin4 before
- 前任 qián rèn ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄖㄣˋ cin4 jam6 predecessor
- 前来 前來 qián lái ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄌㄞˊ cin4 loi4 to come (formal)
- 前夕 qián xī ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄒㄧ cin4 zik6 eve
Show 15 more words with 前
- 前天 qián tiān ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄊㄧㄢ cin4 tin1 the day before yesterday
- 前年 qián nián ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄋㄧㄢˊ cin4 nin4 the year before last
- 前往 qián wǎng ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄨㄤˇ cin4 wong5 to leave for; to proceed towards; to go to
- 前后 前後 qián hòu ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄏㄡˋ cin4 hau6 around
- 前提 qián tí ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄊㄧˊ cin4 tai4 premise
- 前方 qián fāng ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄈㄤ cin4 fong1 ahead
- 前景 qián jǐng ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄐㄧㄥˇ cin4 ging2 foreground
- 前期 qián qī ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄑㄧ cin4 kei4 preceding period
- 前沿 qián yán ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄧㄢˊ cin4 jyun4 (military) forward position
- 前科 qián kē ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄎㄜ cin4 fo1 criminal record
- 前程 qián chéng ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄔㄥˊ cin4 cing4 future (career etc) prospects
- 前线 前線 qián xiàn ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄒㄧㄢˋ cin4 sin3 front line
- 前者 qián zhě ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄓㄜˇ cin4 ze2 the former (i.e. the one mentioned first)
- 前台 前臺 qián tái ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄊㄞˊ cin4 toi4 stage
- 前辈 前輩 qián bèi ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄅㄟˋ cin4 bui3 senior
Idioms with these characters
- 笨鸟先飞 笨鳥先飛 bèn niǎo xiān fēi ㄅㄣˋ ㄋㄧㄠˇ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄈㄟ ban6 niu5 sin1 fei1 lit. the clumsy bird flies early (idiom); fig. to work hard to compensate for one's limited abilities
- 敢为人先 敢為人先 gǎn wéi rén xiān ㄍㄢˇ ㄨㄟˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄒㄧㄢ gam2 wai4 jan4 sin1 to dare to be first
- 捷足先登 jié zú xiān dēng ㄐㄧㄝˊ ㄗㄨˊ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄉㄥ zit3 zuk1 sin1 dang1 the quick-footed climb up first (idiom)
Show 7 more idioms with 先
- 溘先朝露 kè xiān zhāo lù ㄎㄜˋ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄓㄠ ㄌㄨˋ hap6 sin1 ziu1 lou6 the morning dew will swiftly dissipate (idiom); fig. ephemeral and precarious nature of human existence
- 身先朝露 shēn xiān zhāo lù ㄕㄣ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄓㄠ ㄌㄨˋ san1 sin1 ziu1 lou6 body will go with the morning dew (idiom); fig. ephemeral and precarious nature of human existence
- 未卜先知 wèi bǔ xiān zhī ㄨㄟˋ ㄅㄨˇ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄓ mei6 buk1 sin1 zi1 (idiom) to foresee the future (without divination); to know beforehand through uncanny insight
- 闻风先遁 聞風先遁 wén fēng xiān dùn ㄨㄣˊ ㄈㄥ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄉㄨㄣˋ man4 fung1 sin1 deon6 to flee at hearing the news (idiom)
- 先睹为快 先睹為快 xiān dǔ wéi kuài ㄒㄧㄢ ㄉㄨˇ ㄨㄟˊ ㄎㄨㄞˋ sin1 dou2 wai4 faai3 (idiom) to consider it a pleasure to be among the first to read (or watch or enjoy)
- 先发制人 先發制人 xiān fā zhì rén ㄒㄧㄢ ㄈㄚ ㄓˋ ㄖㄣˊ sin1 faat3 zai3 jan4 (idiom) to gain the initiative by striking first; to preempt
- 先来后到 先來後到 xiān lái hòu dào ㄒㄧㄢ ㄌㄞˊ ㄏㄡˋ ㄉㄠˋ sin1 loi4 hau6 dou3 (idiom) in order of arrival; first come, first served
- 巴前算后 巴前算後 bā qián suàn hòu ㄅㄚ ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄙㄨㄢˋ ㄏㄡˋ baa1 cin4 syun3 hau6 thinking and pondering (idiom); to turn sth over in one's mind
- 冰释前嫌 冰釋前嫌 bīng shì qián xián ㄅㄧㄥ ㄕˋ ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄒㄧㄢˊ bing1 sik1 cin4 jim4 (idiom) to forget previous differences; to bury the hatchet
- 不顾前后 不顧前後 bù gù qián hòu ㄅㄨˋ ㄍㄨˋ ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄏㄡˋ bat1 gu3 cin4 hau6 regardless of what's before or after (idiom); rushing blindly into sth
Show 7 more idioms with 前
- 惩前毖后 懲前毖後 chéng qián bì hòu ㄔㄥˊ ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄅㄧˋ ㄏㄡˋ cing4 cin4 bei3 hau6 lit. to punish those before to prevent those after (idiom); to criticize former mistakes firmly to prevent them happening again
- 承前启后 承前啟後 chéng qián qǐ hòu ㄔㄥˊ ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄑㄧˇ ㄏㄡˋ sing4 cin4 kai2 hau6 to follow the past and herald the future (idiom); part of a historical transition
- 大敌当前 大敵當前 dà dí dāng qián ㄉㄚˋ ㄉㄧˊ ㄉㄤ ㄑㄧㄢˊ daai6 dik6 dong1 cin4 (idiom) to be faced with a formidable enemy
- 各奔前程 gè bèn qián chéng ㄍㄜˋ ㄅㄣˋ ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄔㄥˊ gok3 ban1 cin4 cing4 each goes his own way (idiom); each person has his own life to lead
- 光前裕后 光前裕後 guāng qián yù hòu ㄍㄨㄤ ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄩˋ ㄏㄡˋ gwong1 cin4 jyu6 hau6 to bring honor to one's ancestors and benefit future generations (idiom)
- 裹足不前 guǒ zú bù qián ㄍㄨㄛˇ ㄗㄨˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄑㄧㄢˊ gwo2 zuk1 bat1 cin4 to stand still without advancing (idiom); to hesitate and hold back
- 尽释前嫌 盡釋前嫌 jìn shì qián xián ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄕˋ ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄒㄧㄢˊ zeon6 sik1 cin4 jim4 to forget former enmity (idiom)
Example sentences
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我 先前 在 中国 中國 住 了 六 个 個 月 。
I've lived in China for six months.
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我们 我們 先前 不知 道 要 怎么 怎麼 做 ， 所以 才 求助 。
We didn't know how to do it, so we asked for help.
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不好意思 ， 让 讓 我 指出 先前 文章 的 三 个 個 错误 錯誤 。
Excuse me, let me point out three mistakes in the above article.
Sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY). Readings are generated automatically.